Chapter 27
[MEMBERSONLY]
Chapter 21
Threads of the past...
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnhAYhnHqZk[/YOUTUBE]
It was 12 in the night and there was a
chaos in the studio. Papers flying everywhere, floor totally covered in a
rainbow of colour fabrics, measuring tapes, designs, an array of electronic nonsense
and that's how NK found his brother buried in a mountain of work the night
before his biggest fashion show. This was the quality NK found most endearing
and amazing in his brother. He was that brilliant flash of inspiration who didn't
fail to set your confidence on fire and make you do things that you really
didn't think you could. In NK's life, he was the reason NK braved the attempt
to convince his family about his career and his life. Without his support
probably NK would have never done half the things he had actually managed to
do.
He stood there, smiling when Arnav
appeared from the dungeon and looked at him with wide eyes. NK smiled, "Nannav
mere bhai!"
"I'll throw you out of the house!" Arnav
seethed, still trying very hard to get himself up from the mess around him. NK
gave him a hand, "oh come one bhai! Tomorrow's your show. Show some happy
spirit will you?"
"When did you get here?" Arnav asked as
he hugged his little brother. NK smiled as he patted Arnav hard on the back. A
gesture they shared. "Today morning. About 9 o."
"And you are coming to meet me now?"
Arnav narrowed his eyes in barely contained annoyance.
"Whoa!" NK held up his hands in
surrender, "before you get all Ninja on me. I was present hunting for you all
day! Thought of giving you something on the account of your success but you are
so hard to find some gift for!"
Arnav smiled, "you needn't get me
anything. You know that right?"
"Oh yes," NK smiled as he brought out a
small package out of his pocket, "but I had to. This is just a small gift."
Inside was a photo frame with a black
and white photo of two little boys sticking their tongues out at each other.
Taken by Lavanya, this photograph was the first record shot of Arnav and NK
though the old camera of the 80s took a sabbatical and got itself ruined. Arnav
had thought this photo was lost in history but here it was, printed gloriously
and framed, reminiscing of all the wonderful bromance moments the two boys had
shared from the moment they had seen each other. This was a time when Arnav,
Lavanya and NK were the three musketeers' type friends. But then everything
changed when Lavanya returned to India after her parents' divorce and fell in
love with him. Arnav didn't want that and that friendship suffered. But Arnav
and NK held on to each other. They were each other's support system and till
now, their third musketeer, Lavanya, wasn't aware about it.
"Lavanya knows where you are?" Arnav
asked cautiously. This was one topic he treaded on carefully. He didn't want to
come between the siblings.
"No," NK's voice was hard, laced with
some unknown pain that Arnav couldn't quite place. He had no idea what to tell.
Hence, he patted on his brother's shoulder, "maybe you should surprise her."
"Yeah," NK looked at him. "Yeah you are
right. I probably should go see her. She would be really happy."
"NK, is there any problem?" Arnav asked.
He knew his cousin too well. There was something bothering him but he wasn't
telling. NK shook his head slightly but seemed to think better of it, "I left
CA. I quit my attempts to find a decent job there. I came back for permanent
residence over here."
"That's wonderful!" Arnav exclaimed. For
months together, Arnav was trying to convince NK to come back to India and find
a job but NK was adamant on making it big in CA. But Arnav knew how hard it was
for him to manage a meagre day's work over there. That place skinned you alive.
"Look, NK. There is no need to feel low. I know how much it meant for you to do
what you did in CA. But it isn't worth for you to put in so much of your time
and efforts and not get paid back for what you have been through. USA sure is
really cool but it is not home. There was no one to count back on in that
place."
"I probably should have listened to you
way back," NK said miserably. Arnav closed his eyes. This self pity of NK was
what he hated the most. There was only so much dismay you could show about
yourself. "Could you please stop moping like a girl? It kills me!"
NK grinned goofily. One foolproof way of
getting into the skin of his big bro. He was so predictable sometimes. Arnav
kind of understood what was cooking in his mind and before NK could fathom what
happened, Arnav was on top of him, wrestling him to the ground. The fight
started again. The fight which ended with peals of laughter. The fight which
was the trademark of these two screwed up individuals.
"Oh my god!" NK breathed hard as he got
up from the floor taking Arnav's hand, who was already standing and clutching
his stomach in a mixture of mirth and pain, "you haven't changed a bit! You
still hit like a sumo wrestler."
"I don't work out for nothing, brother,"
Arnav rasped and clutched his stomach again. Both of them crashed on the couch
and gulped bottles of water before NK spoke again, "so how's the preps for the
show?"
"All done but I ain't still happy,"
Arnav said, winking at his brother. "Come to think of it, I am never happy with anything."
NK didn't miss the irony of the
sentence. It was uttered in humour but it was actually the real scenario of
Arnav's life. Though NK didn't want to go there right now.
"Why are you still like this, bhai?" NK
asked out of genuine concern for his child like big brother. Arnav was still a
child at heart who whooped when he saw his favourite candy out in a shop or
screamed like a zombie when his football team lost the match or clapped his
hands excitedly when he saw his favourite bird in his garden. For that grown up
kid, life wasn't sunshine. It was a burden.
"What am I like?" Arnav asked looking at
NK.
"You know what I mean," NK said sadly.
"You are so adamant that you don't want to find the happiness that is waiting
for you. I mean, for how many days will you wait for that childhood love, bhai?
She isn't going to come back!"
"NK, we have been through this," said
Arnav exasperatedly.
"No bhai," NK shook his head violently,
"today I am not going to let you skirt away from this problem. As much as you
can't see me suffer without a job, I can't see you suffer for someone who's
never going to come back. You have to move on, bhai!"
"I can't NK," Arnav got up and went near
the window. His eyes turned into a deep shade of black, reflecting tonnes of
pain hidden in his eyes.
"Why can't you?" NK asked as he joined
him near the window. Arnav looked at him for a while before he answered, "You
can't forget someone you love NK. If I ask you to forget about Ariadne, will
you?"
NK knew he had lost the argument there.
There was no way he could answer that question. But whatever had happened with
him was different. Ariadne was still alive. There was still that teeny hope
that she would come back to him. But the one Arnav loved, she was dead. There
was no way she would come back and there was no sense to this story as well.
This was a love that had no solid foundation at all. Arnav probably mistook
that friendship they shared as love.
"I can't forget about Ariadne, bhai. I
agree, but there is some hope that she would come back to me someday. But what
hope you have bhai. She's dead. She isn't going to come back."
"What if I refuse to believe she was
dead?" Arnav asked in a dead pan tone that chilled NK to his bones. "I was the
first one to hold her when she was born, NK. I have such a strong connection
with her that I refuse to believe that she is dead no matter how many people
shove that goddamn evidence at my face. I absolutely refuse to believe it."
"Bhai, I understand," NK cursed him for
pushing Arnav into that zone of pain again.
"No you don't!" Arnav said sadly. "If
you did, you wouldn't have asked me this question again. I grew up with her NK.
I was everything to her and she was to me. I know whatever that we shared was
probably childish and nonsense. But it was magical, NK. I don't feel that magic
with anyone here. I can't feel that trust, that compatibility with anyone. Just
think, after all these years, her memories should have ceased to exist in me
anymore but day by day, the intensity just increases but not fade. What does
that mean?"
"It only means one thing, bhai," NK said
smiling at him, "you are one hell of a man! I just wish there is some miracle
and the one you love isn't dead."
"I wish that too, NK," Arnav said
hugging him.
As all these transpired, the two boys
failed to notice the third wheel standing behind the counter and watching them
with tears in his eyes. He had yearned for Arnav's love and affection all his
life but Akash had never gotten this close to his brother. He was always the
third wheel everywhere. Between his brother and sister in law, between Arnav
and NK and between Diya and his cousin. Akash never felt this miserable in his
life. He just walked out of the studio, head bent low in self loathing and
misery as the other two musketeers celebrated having each other back in their
lives.
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As the music blared, the three crazy
souls lost themselves in the din. Khushi, Diya and Chris were having the time
of their lives and the situation was even more hilarious as Khushi was drunk
and she wasn't aware of it. As Diya and Chris stood there, laughing their heads
off at Khushi's crazy antics, our lady danced without a care in the world to
the most random songs that were playing. Currently she was shaking her hips to
Shakira's hips don't lie so tantalizingly that half the people in bar stopped
having their share of fun and took to staring at Khushi instead. That was when
Chris realised the problem and with Diya's help, he yanked the screaming Khushi
out of the pub.
"LET GO OF ME, YOU IMBECILE!" she was
still screaming as they neared the parking lot. There was no way they could
take Khushi back home in this state. First of all, Khushi had a brilliant image
of herself in her adopted family's eyes and if her absurd buaji or step mom or
her idiotic sister were to catch her in this state, she was sure to get kicked
out of the house for good. Chris wasn't about to take that chance or ruin that
one night of Khushi's drunkenness. He wouldn't get to see his best friend like
this for a very long time. He had to make most fun out of it before Khushi was
back into her shelf again.
"Let's take her somewhere else," he
winked at Diya who understood his message perfectly. For a night party there
was one spot which was both favourite of Khushi and safe. This was going to be
one hell of a night. As Diya drove on, she couldn't help but laugh hysterically
at the wrestling match in the backseat between her harebrained sister and her
wayward bestie. God these two were adorable!
"Yo!" she chuckled. Chris snapped his
head up, "Yeah!"
"Having fun back there?" she was totally
trying to control her laughter but the total madness of her sister was making
it very hard for her.
"Good thing she doesn't drink," Chris
rasped on trying very hard to control Khushi who now was trying to stand on the
seat of the car.
"Actually, she is more fun when drunk!"
Diya guffawed. Chris narrowed his eyes in sheer annoyance, "easy for you to
say. You aren't helping one bit."
"I
don't need to," Diya smiled looking at him in the mirror, "You are doing just
fine. Anyway, here we are," and she stopped the car.
They were on a tiny hillock near the
outskirts of Delhi. The whole of Old Delhi carpeted below them with tiny
pinpricks of lights sparkling beneath them, creating an amazing riot. The
winding streets, closed markets, sleeping people enhanced the silence of the
night, almost making it feel other worldly. This was Khushi's favourite spot.
It helped her think. The old, antique Delhi had its own flavour and Khushi
loved antiquity. It was a part of the world she grew up in.
Chris whistled seeing the view. Now he
came to understand why India was called one of the most beautiful places in the
world. It was because of its culture, its unique flavour and the riot of its
traditions. It upheld its legacy proudly and even though it had braced the
western civilization, its own essence peeked out like saffron in Kheer and that
flavour, that taste, that aroma was unparallel to anything. That was the true
beauty of India and Chris was knocked out, "wow!"
Diya smiled, "welcome to the real India,
buddy!"
Meanwhile, Khushi who was completely
unhinged started yelling at the top of her voice, "Uoaaah! Uoaaah! Uoaaah!"
Both Chris and Diya tackled her into
shutting up her mouth lest she should wake up the whole neighbourhood. As much
as fun it was to see Khushi go completely bonkers under the influence of some
pretty heavy booze, it was now getting way out of control of to manage her.
Chris and Diya hadn't given this situation much thought but now it was coming
to bite them.
"AAARH!" she screamed
again, ninja kicking Chris but missing it royally thanks to her woozy state.
She fell down on the ground and started cracking up while Diya and Chris looked
at each other exasperatedly. If this was what Khushi did when she was drunk
then this was the first and the last time that both of them would mix alcohol
in her drink. Enough.
She was rolling on the floor, laughing
and muttering deliriously, "aaar deee beee!"
"Who's RDB?" Chris asked while Khushi
still chanted the initials. Diya smiled, "R D Burman. One of her favourite
musicians. But I don't think she's saying that."
"What else could it mean?" Chris asked
as he tried to make Khushi sit. She rolled over again and puked into the
bushes. Chris held back his vomit and washed her face while Khushi was still
muttering nonsense.
"Okay, she is totally out!" he muttered,
"now what do we do?"
But suddenly, out of nowhere Khushi
shouted, "Rinnie..."
Both Chris and Diya froze. Khushi wasn't
acting weird but she was acting melancholic now. There was a faraway look in
her eyes that had nothing to do with the alcohol in her system. Something told
Chris he was going to become privy to Khushi's old life. Something he wasn't
sure whether he wanted or not.
Khushi lolled her head again and
muttered, "Rinnie..."
"What's Rinnie?" Diya asked. Apparently
even the closet person to Khushi didn't know anything about her life. Chris had
no idea but he felt the name very familiar. He had heard it somewhere. Probably
read it somewhere. He didn't know. But he was sure this was not a what' it was
a who.'
Khushi leaned on Chris and closed her
eyes muttering Rinnie over and over again. Sleep was taking over her but Chris
didn't want that to happen. He wanted to know who Rinnie was and why was it the
only name that Khushi remembered in this state where people forgot everything.
He wanted to know why this name was so special to Khushi. He just didn't know
how.
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Akash wiped his tears and stared deadpan
ahead. His room offered him a breathtaking view of the whole Raizada estate but
today, even that couldn't take his mind off things he wished he didn't think.
It was just very silly.
But it wasn't.
From years he had yearned just one
thing. Love. He did get it from his family but that wasn't the love and
affection he desired. He wasn't the only one who received that kind of love. It
was Anjali from the beginning in his family. She was the apple of their family
and they did anything to see that dazzling smile on her face. Much later
Akash was born but his birth didn't do any difference. His family still loved
Anjali more than they loved anyone. Even his own brother had fallen for Anjali,
hard. He didn't have any time for his little brother who returned home getting
teased, being unable to complete his homework. Nothing. But if the same thing
happened to Anjali, the whole family would make it huge deal. But Akash had
learnt to deal with it.
Then Arnav came along and that hope
sparked again. Akash thought he had found a new brother who would love him like
he always wanted to be loved. But Arnav had his own share of problems which
prevented him to be affectionate and loving. He was cold, always in pain and
melancholic that Akash started hating him. But years later, when he finally
understood the real man behind that mask of anger, Akash had grown to immensely
respect his brother. But he still didn't get that love.
But today, seeing NK and Arnav sharing that
wonderful bond, everything had snapped inside him. He was hit with that hard
truth that he would always be the third wheel. An unwanted person. He didn't
know what he had done to face such desperation. He had no idea why he drowning
himself in self pity. He wasn't someone who moped. That was not something Arnav
had taught him to. Thinking about Arnav panged his heart but he knew his
brother would be the one disappointed the most if he ever came across Akash in
this state. He didn't want that. No, he didn't.
Whatever it took, Akash would make sure
he wasn't the unwanted anymore. He wouldn't rely on something he couldn't get.
He would make his own path. The first one was finding out if NK and Diya were
really a couple or not. He couldn't believe that even for a second he hadn't actually
stopped for considering the possibilities. This was not what Arnav had taught him.
There was innumerable stuff happening in the world, countless possibilities.
There was nothing that was static in the machine called universe. Some gears were
constantly in motion. Some things were always clicking and whirring and he
knew, being the engineer at heart that he just had to turn on the right switch
to make the world tick in his way.
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Lavanya waited for his text but it never
came. Not a hi' or a bye' or a how are you'. Nothing. She threw her phone on
the bed in disappointment and started working again. Tomorrow was a big day for
her. Actually, a big day for everyone at AR but she still couldn't grasp the
actual reason behind this fashion show. None of her colleagues expect a few
chosen people- the people on board ASR's team- had seen the designs. It was all
kept wrapped up.
Lavanya knew all the designs were done
by Arnav. He had worked really hard to perfect each and every design but he had
done it all in secret. That Lavanya found extremely annoying. They were just
designs and obviously, she had all the rights to be in team, being one of the top designers and all. But no! Stupid ASR and his stupid rules. Expect his
sidekick, Aman and two of the head designers, Mita and Akira, and of course,
the tailors, nobody saw an inch of the clothing that was designed. Ridiculous!
This was like an all new way of
insulting Lavanya. She was one of the most talented designers and her inputs
would help him. She wasn't new like Mita or she wasn't typical like Akira. But
Arnav had chosen them to oversee the designs and every time those bitches came
near her table they would gush in the most annoying voices about how awesome
Arnav's designs were and how some people were really unlucky not to be on
board. It made Lavanya want to strangle them with her bare hands. But she kept
her cool. She wasn't someone who blew her fuse on some unworthy morons and ASR
had to pay for all the stuff he had made her go through. She sat there,
gritting her teeth when she got a call and to her extreme surprise, it was from
the devil she was cussing all the while, ASR.
"Hello!" she barked into the phone.
"Woah, there..." Arnav replied. His
voice sounded very different. Somehow excited. Lavanya narrowed her eyes in
confusion. Was it the same OCD managing director speaking to her, "Lavanya! I am
not going to bite you. Why the hell are you shouting over the phone?"
"Come to the point, ASR," she bit back,
clearly annoyed by him. Arnav probably sensed that much because he just said in
his clear ASR voice, "I have some work for you. I want you to come to the
studio right now."
"Are you crazy?" Lavanya almost yelled.
Now this was the limit. He called at the middle of the night and asked her to
drive all the way to AR studio? Seriously?
"What?" Arnav asked innocently. Another
person to strangle with a telephone wire. "Are you asking me to drive all the
way to AR studios now? At 1 in the night? I know you are the boss but you are
crossing your line here. I am not driving 20 km now."
"I am not asking you to drive to AR
studios, Lavanya," Arnav's tone was amusing. "I am asking you to come to my
studio. The one near the west gate of Raizada estate. Surely you could walk
half km?"
Lavanya froze. Her phone fell on the bed
with a soft thump and her hand was still stuck in the same position near her
left ear. All that didn't bother her because she was still unable to believe
that ASR, the devil, had actually called her to his personal studio something
he never did with anyone. He hated having someone in his personal space. That
was so not him. But she couldn't understand why Arnav was acting all crazy and
different all of a sudden. Then she thought: jitters. A creepy smile crept
across her face. ASR the great was having last minute jitters about his show.
Oh this was going to be so good. Now the big guy realized it would have been
better to have Lavanya on board. Hell, she was going to use this as her
leverage.
Meanwhile, Arnav was yelling over the
phone, "Dammit! Lavanya! Where the hell did you go?"
She picked up her phone in hurry and
muttered, "Sorry. Brain freeze. Be there in five!" and she hung up before he
could say anything scathing. She grabbed her jacket and ran out of the room and
into the open. Soon she was walking along the narrow lane that led to his studio.
PRECAP:
I am sorry. Will you be the third musketeer again?
ASR? You are actually asking me this?
Dude, I am not proposing you. Neither will I! But I want you back on the
team like old times. Please Lavanya.
Okay, I will.
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Comments (15)
part 21nice part...so Aakash loves Dia...very good...thank God its not Paayal chudail...Khushi is drunk and is chanting Rinniee...who is that?and Arnav and NK seem like the support system for each other...and Aakash is so heart broken seeing this...cont soon dear...
10 years ago
thank u so much for pm love it awesome update
10 years ago
awesome update !!! feels that khushi is the girl whom arnav loves as khushi too remembered only one name in her drunkard state... hope you put some light on it.. felt bad for akash but also agree with him.. no self pity or akash pity.. lived arnav-nk bonding.. lavanyaji aap galat soch rahi hain.. arnav only wants you to be his friend again.. loved the update.. i like this story even though it is slow story but it have its own standing.. love it.. thanks for pm 😊
10 years ago
plzzz tell us the name who Arnav still love so so much...Is it Khushi...by any chance????
10 years ago
awesome⭐️fabulous👏mind blowing👍🏼updatekhushi in drunken state is really hard to handle poor Chris😆😆who is Rinnie ?hope she told more about that as chris want 😃Nk and Arnav bonding is very lovely and strongso Lav will be back to Three Muskateer😃 Gang 😉😉 that's lovelyOh Poor akash i hope he get😉 the most wanted love from Diya😳 why he is thinking of nk and diya As couple?😕 am i missing something?😲rereading is required i think😛waiting eagerly for next part and mid april to come sooonnn😊BEST OF LUCK
10 years ago
loved loved this chapter. the bond that NK and Arnav share is so cute. I like the fact that Arnav shares his deepest emotions with Nk and is still a kid at heart.my heart goes out to akash. it's a pity that he feels that way and never discloses his emotions to anyone and it's a shame that nobody cares to notice his yearning.a drunk khushi is hilarious. wonder if Rinnie is Arnav ... her childhood friend?loved the precap. hope we don't have to wait this long to get an update😉
10 years ago
So Khushi is the long lost love whom Arnav has been pinning on since forever !Nk and Arnav are so much fun together , however i did feel bad for Akash.I hope Diya is the one for him or rather he is the one for her !The precap is interesting , may be Arnav has decided to call his so called relationship with la off and focus on being freinds .
10 years ago
feeling bad for aakash. hope they realise his feelings. and aakash get his love. loved the update
10 years ago
loved itis ASR's n Khushi's past related n who is RInnie
10 years ago
when will Arnav and Khushi meet for real ???
10 years ago